


You'll Get What You Paid For

by dandeliononfire



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Shining Knight Peeta to the Rescue, date auction au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 13:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19007143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandeliononfire/pseuds/dandeliononfire
Summary: When Katniss Everdeen finds herself on the block at a charity auction as some random stranger's potential date, two bidders go at it. One, a creepy coworker she'd like to slap a HR complaint on. Two, a knight in shining armor who- while it's hard to be sure in the low ambiance of the bar with stage lights glaring in her vision- might just be Peeta Mellark.So, I'm not a Gale hater. People who talk meta with me know this. I actually appreciate the Gale of the books, and have a certain amount of affinity and sympathy for him on many levels. (There'd be no survivors from D12 if it weren't for him, guys and under my "mirrors" meta theory on the trilogy, he's really just a spin-off of Katniss herself.)  But of course, there's also things and actions about him I absolutely DON'T like and this is the one Fic where I dive full into the anti-Gale angle just for the plot of it.





	You'll Get What You Paid For

Katniss squirmed on the stool, her discomfort with being one of the “buy-yourself-a-date” auction volunteers heightened traumatically the moment it was her turn to be center on the stage in front of a bar packed with half-inebriated people shouting, teasing, flirting, and making cat-calls. But it was for a good cause, The Panem Children’s Cancer Foundation. They’d helped her sister Prim out when she’d been young and sick. She owed them.

“And here we have the lovely Katniss Everdeen!” That was Caesar Flickerman, the event’s over-the-top, gaudy emcee. He flipped through a stack of three-by-five cards tucked into his hand, “Twenty-six. Environmental Analyst for the Panem National Forest Service. Loves hiking and the outdoors. Drinks too much coffee, favorite color is green, and, well, hello,” he cooed at the audience as though he was surprised, “this beautiful young lady is very  _single_!”

Only, he pronounced the word  _single_  like he was a game show host announcing what was behind door number three: Sing- _guuuuuuu_ l!

Katniss scowled.

Another round of teasing and cat-calls went off, but she gripped the edge of the wooden stool beneath her and stayed put.

“Oh look,” he came over to her and gave her a hug around the shoulders, “you’ve made her blush so hot she’s practically on  _fiiiiiiiire_! So wonderful!”

Katniss tipped her chin forward so her hair would fall as a protective curtain, shaking her head at herself. She couldn’t believe she’d let her friends Annie and Finnick sign her up for this humiliation.

“Now, who’ll start the bidding at a hundred dollars? A hundred dollars for dinner and a dance with the lovely Miss Everdeen?”

There were bids, competition, but at small increments. When the amount hit three hundred, a deep voice boomed out over the crowed, “Four hundred!”

Katniss’ eyes snapped up to find the bidder in the shadows.

It was Gale Hawthorne, a co-worker. He was back at the bar with a beer bottle in his hands. She’d been ducking his advances at work for almost six months. It had started as flattering, then had turned awkward, then finally inappropriate. The unfortunate reality was pushing a sexual harassment claim would unofficially hurt her career and so she’d never filed a grievance.

But she might after this. Trying to buy her after being told to leave her alone was nothing short of creepy.

She wanted to bolt. She almost did. She shook her head and bit down on her lip, trying to calm her anxiety. She tried to tell Hawthorne with her glare to back off, but he only smirked at her.

But it was for the children’s cancer foundation. One date. One dinner. She told herself she could stick it out.

She gripped the stool seat tighter, knuckles white.

“Four hundred dollars, to the very confident man there back at the bar,” shouted Flickerman with a flourish. “Four hundred going once! Come on now gentlemen, don’t let her go without a fight! Going-”

“Four-fifty.”

The lighting made it difficult to see the face of the person the bid had come from, but Katniss’ stomach twisted anyway. The voice, calm and steady, loud enough to be heard, but not shouting, had sounded a little like Peeta Mellark. Even though it really didn’t matter who it was so long as it wasn’t Hawthorne, it would be nice if it was him. She’d always secretly had a thing.

They weren’t friends, but she thought of him as a friendly acquaintance and kept track of him whenever they were in the same social setting. Unfortunately, those opportunities were too few and far between. They were both on the outskirts of the others’ social circles, and she only got to see him when one of their mutual friends, like Finnick and Annie, or sometimes Johanna, had get-togethers or threw the occasionally party.

He was quiet, a good listener, thoughtful, and humble; a genuinely good guy. He’d never made her feel stupid, or leered at girls, and she’d never once seen him get drunk or act like a jerk. And bidding would be something he’d do, bid when he wouldn’t otherwise, just to help her out when she was being chased by a loser. It was something he’d seen before and probably recognized; he’d been understanding enough in the past to not object if she’d hover close to him at parties or bars the few occasions some guy got too drunk or too friendly.

Unfortunately, he’d never seemed to notice that she stuck close as much to be around him as to avoid the unwanted suitor. Or if he had ever noticed, he’d simply been too kind to embarrass her with outright rejection.

“Five hundred,” Hawthorn shouted back.

“Five hundred,  _yeeees!_ ” Flickerman shook his fist and look to the heavens like he was having the time of his life. “Five hundred dollars! Absolutely amazing, people, the largest bid of the night! Five hundred going once!” He paused to look over at the mystery guy, lowering his voice and sounding grave, “You’re not really going to let him take her from you so easily, are you?”

Katniss raised her hand against the overhead stage lights and squinted, trying to make out his face.

“Five-fifty,” he came back.

“Six hundred,” Hawthorne yelled.

“Six hundred, going once!”

“Fifty more.” The man leaned forward, shoulders square and intense. The change in position put his face under the light of an overhanging lamp.

Katniss’s shoulders sagged and she said his name with the breath she released.

“What was that dear?” Flickerman came over and held the mic in front of her.

“Nothing. I was just saying his… I know him too.”

“Ooo! That must mean you know the other handsome man bidding for you?”

“Unfortunately,” she said, glaring at Hawthorne.

Flickerman made a face of sympathy, “Doesn’t sound like the lady is too keen, sir. Maybe turning that frown upside down might change her mind a bit?” His grin suddenly reappeared, “I think the bid is to- What did you say your knight in shining armor’s name was?”

Katniss gave Flickerman a scowl as he held the mic in front of her again. He refused to pull it back until she answered, making a face for the crowd that elicited large scale teasing. “Mr. Mellark,” she said, trying to make the moment of torture end but for some reason unable to stomach the idea of Peeta’s first name passing across that peacock’s lips.

“Mr. Mellark’s six-fifty going once!”

“Seven hundred!” Hawthorne.

Everyone turned toward Peeta, including Flickerman who waited quietly.

“Hey, is this an auction or what,” Hawthorne complained.

Flickerman rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, “Fine. Seven hundred… going once.”

“Seven-fifty.” Peeta.

“Eight!” Hawthorne.

“Gale, stop,” Katniss snapped out over the crowd at him, warning him.

“Eight,” Hawthorne reiterated, pride raging.

“Eight-fifty.”

“Nine!”

“Nine-fifty.”

Katniss wondered how Peeta had that kind of money. She knew he worked in a bakery, which didn’t strike her exactly as a lucrative career.

“A thousand,” Hawthorne said, but his tone was losing its confidence and reeked of embarrassed frustration.

“A thousand-fifty.”

This time, Hawthorne let Flickerman get to the ‘going twice,’ before putting in the next fifty-dollar bid.

“Twelve hundred,” Peeta jumped a hundred ahead.

Hawthorne swore, shoved himself around a few people, and stalked off.

“Twelve hundred dollars!” Flickerman was ecstatic. “That’s a charity record!” The bar erupted in clapping and shouts of congratulations. Someone suggestively shouted that Peeta should get a lot more than dinner and a dance for that kind of money.

Katniss’ cheeks flared hot at the crowd and the attention, but she was grateful to Peeta to him and nodded her thanks across the crowd. He gave her a weak smile and nodded back.

“Well, sir, come on up and claim your prize,” Flickerman encouraged.

He sidled his way through the people to the steps at the front of the stage. A lady with a clipboard, big hair, and a bright pink outfit intercepted him. He pulled a checkbook from his back pocket, wrote the check for his donation, and then and held his hand out for Katniss to join him. She slipped off the stool and was next to him in less than a second.

“Can we get out of here,” he whispered in her ear, voice strained even though he was putting on a smile and waving to the people still congratulating them.

“Please.”

His hand gripped tightly around hers, warm, solid and large, and he had them out into the dimly lit parking lot in short order.

Hawthorne was there waiting, leaning against his truck and glaring.

“She won’t be worth it,” he taunted. “Frigid as hell frozen over.”

“Not to him,” Katniss spat, half to insult Hawthorne, half to suggest she had someone looking out for her.

She felt the hesitation in Peeta’s step, and was immediately ashamed of the weak third half of her that had said it simply because it was true.

“Since when did you thaw out enough to get a boyfriend,” Hawthorne snapped back, probably sensing her bluff.

“Since it’s none of your damn business,” Peeta growled, jaw bulging with anger. He pulled her by the hand to his other side until he was between her and Hawthorne. To add to the act, he pressed a kiss to her temple and said loud enough to be overheard, “You okay?”

“Yes,” she said, cheeks burning, half with irritation at his acting protectively of her, and half from the realization she liked it.

And also half from the contact itself.

She squeezed his fingers without meaning too, and felt warmth travel up her arm when he squeezed back. When he let go and brought his hand to her back to guide her to his car, the warmth at the contact there felt a bit more like electricity. She shivered.

“Whatever,” Hawthorne huffed after they passed him.

Peeta held the passenger door open for her and they sat in his car in silence until Hawthorne finally disappeared back inside.

“Wow,” he said, blowing out a breath and running his hands through his hair. “That was… something.” His tone made it clear he was glad it was over.

Disappointment sunk in her belly like a block of cold lead.

He gripped the steering wheel and looked over to her, “That’s Hawthorne, right? That jerk from work always harassing you?”

She narrowed her eyes, “How do you know him?”

“You complained about him once when we were very soberly pretending to hold up the keg while all our friends got drunk around us.” He’d been a better listener than she’d thought. “And even if you hadn’t, it was all over your face, the moment he opened his mouth. That guy’s scary. No way I was going to let you go off with him, even if it meant…” He shook his head. “You should have just left the stage.”

Katniss looked out the window, pretending to study the other parked cars. He was right. Her decision had cost him a lot of money.

“I’ll pay you back,” she said, suddenly wanting to cry. She wanted it to have been more than a simple rescue on his part.

The longer she thought about it, the more embarrassed she got.

She grabbed the door handle and started to pull it, but he reached across and laid his hand over hers.

“I’m not looking for you to pay me back. But don’t go yet, Katniss. Please. I might not be much company, but I wouldn’t mind getting that dinner I paid for.” He gave her a sad smile.

A smile that made her heart skip.

“That is, if the idea doesn’t repulse you.” He leaned back to his side of the car.

“It was too much money, Peeta,” she said quietly, staring at her hands.

“What, you’re saying you’re not worth twelve-hundred-dollars-a-date,” he chuckled.

“Stop teasing. We both know I’m not.”

“Wow.” He looked away from her, shaking his head. But whatever he was thinking, he didn’t share. After a few seconds of keeping his thoughts to himself he said it again, “Wow.”

“What?”

He turned in his seat to fully face her. “I realize we’re not friends. But I’d like to think we’re _kinda_ -friends,” he asked as a preamble, waiting for her confirmation. She nodded. “Then as your  _kinda_ -friend, can I tell you something?”

She shrugged, not sure she really wanted to hear. Anxiety made her worry he was going to say something negative, hope made her stomach flop.

“You’re worth  _so_  much more than that, Katniss.”

She froze, but then recovered, “You don’t have to try and make me feel better just because Hawthorne was being a jerk, Peeta.”

“Hey,” he rested his hand on the wide armrest between them, “think about it. I had no idea he’d be there, and notice I didn’t make any other bids. Did it maybe occur to you that dishing out all that money might’ve been my way of finally asking you out?”

She didn’t understand, “Why would you want to ask me out, of all people?”

He shook his head and gave her a self-depreciating smile, “You don’t actually have an idea, do you? I’ve liked you a really long time, Katniss. All our friends know it. Finnick teases the heck out of me for it. He and Annie are the ones who told me about the auction.”

She pulled her arms around her stomach, trying to still it.

“For real?”

“For real,” he nodded. “So?”

She shook her head, not tracking his question.

“If you want to friend-zone me, that’s okay. Well, it’s not okay, technically, but I’ll have to live with it anyway. I’d just appreciate if you would be straight up about it rather than pretending or trying to dress it up out of pity.”

She let herself process.

“Wait, you actually like me?”

He nodded, a bit comically, “Hello, yes.”

A smile worked its way across her lips in starts and stops.

“Does that smile mean the idea of having dinner with me doesn’t automatically repulse you?”

“Of course it doesn’t,” she said, biting her lip to keep from smiling wider.

He grinned, “I might be testing my luck here, I know, but give a guy a bit of confidence. If it doesn’t repulse you, is there maybe a chance it actually sounds good?” He scratched his cheek, face an odd mix of embarrassment and confidence. “You know, just trying to figure out where I stand.”

She looked away, and then back.

“There is a  _tiny_  chance,” she admitted, laying the fake begrudging on thick.

“Whew, what a relief.” The way his entire face split into an even bigger grin made her nervous and happy at the same time.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and then they spoke at once.

“You first,” Katniss said.

“I was thinking we could go to Rowdy’s? Memory serves you like their wings almost as much as you like beating me at darts.”

“I could handle that.”

He put the key into the ignition and clicked it forward, but not enough to start the engine, “Handle which? The wings, or beating me at darts?”

“Watching you throw darts.”

“ _Watching_  me throw darts? Tell me more.”

“Never mind,” she looked out her window, coughing, “just drive.”

“No no, you can’t hit and run me like that!”

“Drive,” she grumbled, though laughter was threatening to spill out, “before I change my mind.”

“No no, come on,” he teased. “I just paid twelve-hundred dollars for an evening with you, which apparently you’re willing to allow, so at least tell me what merited you putting your eyes on me in the past so I can guarantee a repeat tonight.”

She reached over and tried to turn the key on so they could go, but he swatted her hand away, making her snort.

“Please tell me?”

She crossed her arms and stared out her window to avoid looking at the dimples his grin was causing, “Fine. You stick your tongue out when you’re aiming.” And she’d also noticed the way his biceps flexed right before he threw, but she wasn’t going to volunteer that too.

“I stick my tongue out?”

“Yes.”

“Wow. Katniss Everdeen watching my t-”

Katniss shot him a look.

“Never mind,” his cleared his throat. But she was smiling when she looked away again.

“Rowdy’s it is then.” He turned the engine on and put his hand up on the back of her headrest as he backed out of the parking spot, his good mood rolling off him and over her like a warm surf, “You don’t have any money on you, do you?”

“Why?”

He put the car in forward and pulled out onto the street.

“Because that was half my savings, not to mention the hundred each Finnick and Annie chipped in just in case I needed it.” He was still grinning, “So it’s gonna be bar nuts and water tonight unless you pay, Everdeen.”

She shook her head, laughing, “You’ll get what you paid for, Peeta. That included dinner.”

He glanced at her sideways, brows up, “And the dance? Does that mean I get that too?” His eyes drifted back to the road. “Because I think I might just die now.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“If you can beat me at darts.”


End file.
